Week 11

The Individual and the State

I would disagree with Mill, because we are forced to pay taxes, and we are also forced to serve as jurors.  If you decide not to pay taxes in the long run the IRS will catch up to you and then you will be penalized by adding taxes on the taxes you already owe, I think this is not an option.

As for Jury Duty, if you decide to skip jury duty they eventually catch you, the government states that it is a privilege to serve as a juror, and an experience of a lifetime, this is not optional.  No freedom here.

I can agree with Marx, we do need to be able to make our own economic choices, but I disagree that the government whether it is city, state, or federal should intervene in your economic growth, if you make it or fail should be on the individual.

Week 9

This week has been a horrible week, the discussion of GOD leaves me empty.  There are 3 things I do not like to discuss with no-one and those three things are:
1. Religion
2. Sports
3. My life
This has been a week that as a believer I feel hurt when I here someone say that God has no feelings, that he does not exist, that he allows things to happen because he does not feel.  I hope that the coming week is a better one.

Week 9

The Problem of Evil, and Asian Religions

Buddhism may be right in some aspects, to say that we are “preoccupied” with our own desires”.  Generally, when we want something in life and are unable to get it we tend to suffer, we are humans with feelings, are we selfish in wanting what we desire No.  Wanting something in your life is not being selfish, for example:  I want a brand new car, am I being preoccupied with this NO, if this makes me selfish than sobeit, can I afford it NO, not yet.  Will I detach myself from my desires, NO; I need to have desires to be able to accomplish my goal of buying a brand new car. 

I belief that sometimes our suffering is not self centered; it can be other things such as the death of your friends love one.  Buddhism teachings may or may not be right for everyone, we all have different beliefs and society has established its rules and regulations that we must follow, Buddhists must follow their own rules and regulations in their society.

Do I think it is possible to learn according to the teachings of Buddhism; everything in life is possible, we learn to love, to hate and to be.  Some of the teachings of Buddhism can be followed in society; we can try to live in peace, yet we have not succeeded.